This is a fantastic Lemon Lime Chicken recipe made with only 5 simple ingredients that tenderize and flavor chicken. It can be air fried or grilled and served with your favorite side dishes for a complete dinner.
It doesn't take much to make a great chicken marinade. With a combination of a few kitchen staples, you can easily whip up a fantastic, tenderizing marinade in minutes. I use a combination of lime juice and lemon juice in this recipe for a fantastic flavorful and juicy lemon-lime chicken!
The spring and summer grilling seasons are my favorite for this reason. Simply marinate your chicken or steak when you have a few free minutes during the day (or in the morning when you leave for work) and when it's dinner time, it'll take only minutes to grill it to perfection.
And if you don't feel like firing up the grill, just pop the chicken into the air fryer. It'll take only a few more minutes than the grill so it's a great choice for rainy or overly hot days. You can check out more air fryer recipes here if you prefer that to the grill.
Ingredients
This grilled lime chicken with cilantro marinade uses:
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Lime juice
- Salt
- Garlic
- Cilantro
For the cilantro, I have used completely fresh, completely dried, and cilantro that I dried in my dehydrator so it was more of a “lightly dried” cilantro. That was actually my favorite kind of cilantro to use, so if you dehydrate your own herbs, you can use it for this recipe. You can also buy lightly dried cilantro.
Grilling Instructions
It couldn't be easier to make grilled lime chicken.
First, make the marinade by combining the oil, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, and minced garlic.
Second, put the chicken in a baggie or bowl and pour in the marinade. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours). Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness.
Air Fryer Instructions
Follow steps 1 and 2 above. When chicken is done marinating, preheat the air fryer to 375°F/190°C. Line the basket or tray with parchment paper and add the marinated chicken. Set the time to 12 minutes. Flip the chicken halfway through and baste with reserved marinade. At the 12 minute mark, check internal temperature to ensure it has reached 165°F. If not, continue air frying in 2 minute increments.
Serve and enjoy!
Tips For Marinating Chicken
There are a few things to keep in mind when marinating and grilling chicken. Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about this recipe.
When a marinade contains alcohol, acid, or salt, the meat should not be marinated for more than 4 hours because those ingredients can break down the meat. When there are citrus ingredients, like lime or lemon juice in your marinade, you should marinate for less than 2 hours. I marinated my chicken breasts with this lime and lemon marinade for 1 hour and it was perfect. Here is a basic guide for understanding marinating times if you'd like to take a look.
You should really not marinate this recipe all day or over night. 2 hours should be the maximum, and I promise that is all you need!
Yes! Both lime and lemon juices work to tenderize meat and infuse them with flavor. Any acidic liquid will do the same, and this is includes wine and vinegar.
Meal Ideas For Grilled Chicken
Some of my favorite ways to enjoy grilled chicken are:
- Added to a southwestern-style salad with corn, avocado and beans.
- Over rice and topped with a sweet and easy homemade mango salsa
- With easy vegetable side dishes, like corn on cob, sweet potato fries, parmesan garlic asparagus and broccoli.
- Make a lettuce wrap.
- Add to quesadillas.
My kids also love making Mexican rice bowls using this grilled lime chicken, where they get to pick what toppings go in their bowl. Their favorites are corn, tomatoes, and avocado. We like it topped with our favorite creamy cilantro lime dressing.
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Lemon Lime Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- air fryer optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves mincedc
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon cilantro leaves chopped
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1.5 pounds
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, minced garlic, salt, and cilantro in a mixing bowl and stir well.
- Put chicken in a Ziplock bag or bowl and pour in marinade. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
- Grill marinated chicken 4-5 minutes on each side over medium heat, until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Air Fryer Method
- Follow steps 1 and 2 above. When chicken is done marinating, preheat the air fryer to 375°F/190°C. Line the basket or tray with parchment paper and add the marinated chicken. Set the time to 12 minutes. Flip the chicken halfway through and baste with reserved marinade. At the 12 minute mark, check internal temperature to ensure it has reached 165°F. If not, continue air frying in 2 minute increments.
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